Bumper for vehicles.



T. A. HOOVER.

BUMPER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1914.

Patented Aug. 4, 191 1 wi bnwoao z MIN/3 woe who;

$13M W 0 E: do

THOMAS A. HOOVER, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

BUMPER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An 4, 1914.

Application filed April 29, 1914. Serial No. 835,099.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that I, THOMAS A. Hoovnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Bumpers for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in bumpers or fenders for automobiles, motorvehicles and like selfpropelled vehlcles; and an object of this invention is to provlde a bumper or fender which will be slmple in construction, cheap in manufacture, efhcient and durable in operation and use and yielding in nearly every direction from which a jarring force or shock may reasonably be expected to act upon the same.

Another object of this inventlon is to pro vide a bumper which will be symmetrical in outline and proportion and which will be susceptible of being nickel-plated or brassplatcd. 3 i

In the drawings illustratmg the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front part of an automobile and shows the same fitted with one of my new bumpers; Fi 2 is a plan view of one of the latter; Fig. 3 is a detail of the eye at each end of bumper; Fig. 4 is a detail in section of the separating sleeve washer; and Fig. 5 IS a detail of the fastening clip.

The bumper a shown in the drawings consists essentially of two bars b and c shaped and fastened together as hereinafteridescribed. The first part or bar b is made from a strip of spring-steel approximately one and three-quarters inches $1 1 wide and five-sixteenths of an inch thick and forms the. main part of the bumper, giving to the same its shape or outline. At each end this main part cur es at d toward the automobile (or rearwardly) and then laps or doubles back upon itself, forming at each extremity or tip-end an eye 6 in which is fitted a bushing f through which passes a rivet g. The doubled-back portion h at each end of the bumper extends inwardly in the same general direction as that of the adjacent part d of the main bar for a distance of about sixteen inches (16"), curving or sweeping gradually away from latter. The bar is next bent or turned at 71 toward the automobile (or rearwardly) and extends at sul'istantially a right angle to form an arm y by means of which the bumper is attached to the automobile. The end 7.: of the arm j is bent upwardly and formed with two holes m, n, adapted to receive the fastening devices. The second bar 0 is inserted between the rearwardly-extending arms and extends substantially parallel to the main bar I) for the greater part of its length. The two bars b, c, are spaced apart bya tubular or sleeve washer 0 about one and one-quarter (3") inches long and are fastened together by a rivet p which passes through the washer 0. This washer 0 is preferably about centrally disposed with respect to the length of the bars 6, c, and is preferably lined with rubber or wood lining 9. Each end of the inner bar (2 curves rcarwardly and is fastened (as by a rivet r) to the adjacent rearwardly-. extending arm j, and by the rivets p, r, the two bars 7), 0, are firmly fastened together so as to constitute a singl piece in reality.

The fender or bumper a is of sufficient length to protect or guard the front of an automobile or about sixty inches long and is attached to the machine, which it is designed to safeguard, in the following manner: The arms are slipped inwardly between the channel irons s forming the front end of the frame or chassis of the car. The interval between the holes m, n, formed in the turned-up ends 7.: of the arms 7' is sufficiently great to receive the front end of the channel iron 8. To fasten the arm 7' to the latter, the legs t of a U-shaped clip t are passed through the holes m, n, of the turned-up end In and through corresponding holes in a washer-plate u, on the outside of the channel-iron s, and then nuts '0 are screwed on the projecting threaded ends it" of the legs t, thereby binding the end A: of the arm j firmly to the channel-iron 8. By this construction, the boring of holes in the channel-irons of the chassis of the car is avoided. A supporting ear or lug 111 may be used at the spring-eye m at the end of the channel-iron s to give the arm 1' further support, if desired.

The bumper hereinbefore described combines, by virtue of the arrangement, dis

tribution and formation of its component parts, the maximum strength of resistance that it is practicable to attain with the mini mum weight of spring steel (the bumper weighing about eighteen pounds complete). The rearwardly-extending arms 7' of the metal strip Z), which forms the outer bar, follow along the channel-irons s of the chassis of the car and, since these arnis are united firmly to the channel-irons, great rigidity isgiven to the bumper, the channelirons giving real assistance in strengthening and bracing the bumper. The bumper is preferably made of spring steel having the natural crucible steel temper; and, being made of this material, it will yield to all necessary bending or flexing forces and will bend in almost any shape without perma nent deformation and, in this respect, difiers from bumpers made of tubes, channel-iron or solid bars. It will yield sensitively from any point of impact and to any pressure directed upon it. The smoothness of the steel used furnishes aperfect surface for the tak-- ing of a plating of nickel or brass.

My new bumper is easy to make, is composed of few parts and can be manufactured cheaply and will not rattle;

I claim:

1. An automobile bumper consisting of a single continuous strip of springmetal the body portion of which is substantially convex outwardly and sufiiciently wide to span substantially ,thefront end of the automobile and the end-portions of which are curved first rearwardly and then extend inwardly; a pair of arms which project rearwardly from said inwardly-extending end- Oopiea of this patent may be obtained for :flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. .D. C. y

portions and which are spaced apart a distance suflicient to engage the side-members of the automobile frame and are" formed with means for attachment thereto; and a supplementary bar which lies in rear of and substantially parallel to said body portion and the ends of which are connected to said inwardly-extending endporti'ons. 2. An automobile bumper consisting of a single continuous strip of spring metal the body portion of which is substantially convex outwardly and sufiiciently wide to span substantially the front end ofthe automobile and the end-portions of which are curved first rearwardly and then extend inwardly; a pair of arms which project rearwardly from said inwardly-extending endportions and which are spaced apart a distancesufiicient to engage the side-members of the automobile frame and are formed with means for attachment thereto; a supplementary bar which lies in rear of and substantially parallel to said body portion and the ends of which are connected to said inwardly-extending end-portions; and a spacing washerg interposed between said body-portion and supplementary bar.

Signed at said Fresno, this 17th day of April, A. D. 1914, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

THOMAS A. HOOVER.

WVitnesses F. T. COOK, H. T. Knrcn. 

